Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Posts: 10,415
6.1 is:
* 2 front main channels
* 1 center channel
* 2 side surround channels
* 1 back surround channel
* 1 LFE channel
7.1 would upgrade the mono back surround channel to stereo so you'd have stereo front, stereo side and stereo rear speakers.
There are two relevant DTS modes: DTS ES Matrix and DTS ES Discrete. The Matrix version extracts the back channel from the side channels using technology similar to the way ProLogic extracts a center channel. Discrete recordings have seperate tracks for full 6.1. Dolby Digital EX is similar to DTS ES Matrix. The EX decoder was previously available under the THX license only, so the H/K's (except the THX Ultra-certified 8000) do not support this (it has subsequently become available for license seperately).
For 7.1, H/K receivers have their proprietary Logic7 mode for 2-channel matrix-encoded material and music.
tv_guy, if you're looking at the H/K's, the AVR320 has everything the 520 has except less power (still plenty for most though), HDCD decoding (for some audio CDs) and a backlit remote. Otherwise, all the other features are the same.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JohnnyG on 2002-01-16 13:39 ]</font>